Although Liberia has ratified ILO Conventions 87 and 98 and the Liberian constitution guarantees the right to freedom of association, the right to organise is not recognised in the public sector and unions and associations are confronted with continuous anti-union behaviour from the government.

In 2014, the government fired health workers who were on the front lines of the fight against Ebola, simply because they were trying to ensure adequate protection and working conditions for public workers. Other unions have been denied registration, and union leaders and activists are regularly dismissed, displaced to faraway regions, denied their salaries, and intimidated.

PSI has been campaigning for the reinstatement of Joseph Tamba and George Poe Williams of NAHWAL and for the respect of trade union rights in Liberia. In 2016, NAHWAL – together with PSI, ITUC, UNISON, SEIU – filed a complaint with the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association.

The PSI Ebola Response Strategy, focusing on argumentation, networking and lobby work, is almost coming to an end, and the participating unions are still as active as ever. In Liberia, where the PSI affiliates set up a wide collaboration between trade unions and civil society organisations, the Project Management Committee (PMC) with representatives of NAHWAL, NTUPAW, CTIL, CSA and HRM organised two workshops to boost the expertise and means of action of the broad network.

Unions and civil society organisations have warned about the devastating effects of the privatisation of education on both students and teachers during the launch of a new study on Liberia’s PSL project.

At the end of the Ebola crisis in the Mano River Basin, the Liberian government declared its commitment to building a resilient health care delivery system. However, the Liberian government left the same management in place and, unsurprisingly, working conditions for health workers have not improved.

PSI and its affiliates in the health sector across the world joined in marking March 1, as global Zero Discrimination Day. The day has been set aside since 2014 to raise awareness on the need to roll back all forms of discrimination in access to health services, particularly for persons living with HIV.

On February 17, joining the worldwide protests for the reinstatement of health workers Joseph S. Tamba and George Poe Williams, President and General Secretary of NAHWAL, respectively, Maria Castaneda on behalf of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East delivered a letter to the Ambassador Jeremiah C. Suluneth.

On February 17, PSI Deputy General Secretary, David Boys, Health Officer, Baba Aye, and Trade Union Rights Officer, Camilo Rubiano, met with the Ambassador of Liberia to the UN organizations in Geneva, Mr. Paul Wolokollie Tate, to discuss the situation of Joseph S. Tamba and George Poe Williams, President and General Secretary of NAHWAL, respectively.

RadioArticolo1, the radio for CGIL, Italy, has interviewed George Poe Williams from Liberia, NAHWAL General Secretary. George was arbitrarily dismissed in 2014 for calling for better working conditions and protective equipment during the Ebola crisis.

The Liberian regime has no respect for basic Human Rights; or Workers Rights!

In Liberia, the government has arbitrarily fired health workers who were on the front lines of the fight against Ebola; simply because they were trying to ensure adequate protection and working conditions for public workers. Before you consider traveling to or investing in Liberia, think about whether you really want to support a regime which treats health heroes as disposable goods.

Learn more about how to stand up for the rights of Liberian workers by watching the video above and signing the petition below!

Watch this series of five videos by PSI on how the Ebola crisis unveiled structural problems in the Liberian Health System. How the bad working conditions such as voluntary work, lack of protective equipment, lack of insurance and decent pay, caused unproportioned amounts of deaths under the health workers, causing a lack of health staff in the country. More information on our #SolidarityLiberia page.

RadioArticolo1, the radio for CGIL, Italy, has interviewed George Poe Williams from Liberia, NAHWAL General Secretary. George was arbitrarily dismissed in 2014 for calling for better working conditions and protective equipment during the Ebola crisis.

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Public Services International is a global trade union federation representing 20 million working women and men who deliver vital public services in 154 countries. PSI champions human rights, advocates for social justice and promotes universal access to quality public services. PSI works with the United Nations system and in partnership with labour, civil society and other organisations.